Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Thanks Mom!

After work today, as I took a walk to the bus stop that's about halfway home, I called my mom. Mostly I just wanted to talk but I also had a question for her. Instead of getting to the question, I talked about work, which is my wont these days. (Ok, not really about the work itself, which is interesting but too particular to explain, but rather about how annoying my boss is. Oh well!)

We had a good conversation probably because I was feeling relaxed and happy. It wasn't until I got home that I broached my question, which was about knitting. It was urgent or anything, but I had the idea she could help.

I started knitting a blanket--a throw, really-- a couple of weeks ago. It's going very quickly and it's very satisfying. I know I've made some mistakes in the pattern but it's all bunched up on a circular needle (it's a circular throw, knit in the round) and it's hard to tell how apparent the mistakes will be once the things is unfurled. It's for me, so the mistakes will just make it special and unique. If I make it again, I'll do better.

I finally got to the bind off round and then I realized that I didn't have enough yarn to finish. The bind off is decorative and takes more than a "regular" round of knitting would. What to do? Ripping back would be possible but problematic. And if I were to rip back to get enough yarn for the bind off, should I go back to where I introduced the mistakes--if I could even figure that out?

So, I told Mom that I didn't have enough yarn for the bind off. Mom said, "That's easy to fix." Really? How? "You just find some other yarn that matches, and use that."

Yes! How simple and perfect and, yet, it did not occur to me. And I've even used that solution before...but for this project, I just couldn't imagine using a different yarn. I have about four boxes with "stash" yarn. Some is slated for specific projects, some is left over from other projects, and some is more speculative (I have enough for two or three pairs of socks, one baby blanket, two or three scarves and some random left over skeins). I found something perfect, which I had for a future baby blanket, but I think even with what I use for the bind off, I'll have plenty left. And, heck, I can always edge that future blanket with some other lovely, contrasting yarn, right?